Ridgeway Manor Residential Care Home

Updated 11 October 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Three inspectors carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Ridgeway Manor Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Ridgeway Manor Residential Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection, there was a registered manager in place.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 18 August 2022 and ended on 26 August 2022. We visited the home on 18 August 2022.

Before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We talked to six people who lived at the home and five relatives about the care their family members received. We spoke with eight staff, including the registered manager, the deputy manager, the assistant manager, care, catering and activities staff.

We looked at care records for four people, including their assessments, care plans and risk assessments. We checked five staff recruitment files, training records, the arrangements for managing medicines, records of complaints and accidents and incidents, quality checks and audits, meeting minutes and the provider’s business contingency plan.

Updated 11 October 2022

Ridgeway Manor Residential Care Home is a care home without nursing for up to 43 older people, including people living with dementia, sensory impairment and physical disability. There were 20 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

Some aspects of people’s care were not always provided safely. For example, some people did not receive their medicines as prescribed on the day of our inspection. People who had specific dietary needs were not supported to eat in line with guidance issued by a speech and language therapist.

A recent fire risk assessment found improvements were needed in fire safety and some areas of the building presented health and safety risks to people. The home was not adapted to meet the needs of people living with dementia. Some parts of the home were not adequately maintained or sufficiently clean. Quality assurance systems were not effective in assessing, monitoring and improving the quality and safety of the service.

People’s care was provided in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA), although there were some inconsistencies in the completion of documentation. We have made a recommendation about this.

People told us they enjoyed the food at the home. They said they had choices at each meal and could have alternatives to the menu. However, meals for people who required texture-modified food were not attractively presented. We have made a recommendation about this.

There were enough staff on each shift to meet people’s needs. People said staff were available when they needed them and that they did not have to wait when they needed care. Staff were recruited safely and understood their role in safeguarding people from abuse. Relatives praised the efforts staff had made during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep people safe.

If accidents or incidents occurred, these were reviewed to identify any themes and actions that could be taken to prevent a similar incident happening again. There was a business continuity plan in place to ensure people would continue to receive their care in the event of an emergency.

People were supported to maintain good health and to access healthcare services when they needed them. Staff monitored people’s health and made referrals to healthcare professionals if they identified concerns.

Staff carried out assessments to identify any risks people faced in areas such as mobility and skin integrity and kept these under review. Pain assessments had been implemented for people who may not be able to express when they were in pain, such as people living with dementia.

Staff were kind and caring and treated people with respect. People and relatives told us there was a friendly, family atmosphere at the home. Staff respected people’s choices about their care and enabled them to be as independent as possible. People had access to activities they enjoyed.

Staff had an induction when they started work and access to ongoing training. Staff told us they received good support from the management team and said they worked well as a team.

People’s care was planned to meet their individual needs. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s wishes about the care they received towards the end of their lives had been recorded where they chose to discuss this aspect of their care.

People told us staff knew their needs well and how they preferred their care to be provided. Relatives told us the management team communicated well with them and said they were able to be involved in planning their family members’ care. People and their relatives felt able to raise any concerns they had and were confident these would receive an appropriate response.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 4 November 2019).

Why we inspected:

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Enforcement and Recommendations:

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to health and safety, the environment and governance.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up:

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.